Flicker of Memory
by Seiyul
Summary: Ladybug begins to take Chat Noir's affections seriously, and Marinette grows closer to Adrien. They learn about each other and begin to connect the dots.


Note: This is my first fanfic in a long time. Please be gentle. ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Dance**

* * *

Ladybug and Chat Noir did a fist bump. Then Ladybug watched as the white butterfly fluttered away.

Chat Noir approached her and quickly tucked her hands in his. There was a head's width between them. Before she could pull away, he asked "Will you go to a dance with me?"

Ladybug's mouth dropped open in surprise. "... Which dance?"

"The one tomorrow night at Collège Françoise Dupont."

Shock coursed through Ladybug. She had suspected it but didn't want to believe that Chat attended her school. "W-where?"

"Collège Françoise Dupont. My school."

A collage of faces flashed through her mind. Who was he? Did she know him? Eventually, the shock cleared, and Ladybug realized Chat's hands were wrapped around hers. She retracted her hands quickly.

Chat looked at her heartbrokenly, knowing her answer.

"I'm sorry, I can't." An awkward pause passed between them. She knew he was a flirt, but right now that expression of his was pained; he was serious.

Ladybug broke the silence. "There's another person I like."

Chat forced a sheepish smile. "Well, that's okay. Good luck with him." He turned and sprinted away. Ladybug watched after him, concerned, because he was her partner and friend. She felt bad, but there was nothing she could do about her crush on Adrien.

* * *

Back in his own room, Adrien slumped dejectedly into a chair. He looked at the figure on his desktop screen. A miniature Ladybug, masked and out of his reach, spun around on the display. Around and around and around...

His chin touched the table, and he emitted a small, frustrated whine.

Plagg popped out of his schoolbag, cheese in hand. The black kwami gulped the treat down and sighed in satisfaction. He casually floated through air to the space next to Adrien. Rather than encouraging him, he asked for more cheese. Thanks, Plagg.

* * *

Adrien took his seat in front of Marinette. He looked sad. Marinette didn't like it.

She had worried the entire week about whether or not to ask Adrien to the dance, worried that he would be creeped out by her advances, worried that he would feel bad about rejecting her. She almost drove Alya nuts with her tirades about how Adrien was so nice and so cool-

All of that was blown away. Adrien was upset, and that made her stomach more knotted than any dance could.

Alya noticed it as well. She nudged Marinette and whispered to her, "Why don't you cheer him up?"

Marinette didn't know what to do, but she couldn't let things stay as they were. She spent all of class thinking up possible solutions, jotting them down in her notebook.

* * *

Lunchtime came, and Adrien and Nino were about to walk toward the cafeteria, when Alya spoke up. "Are you going with anyone to the dance, Adrien?" Marinette panicked and gestured for Alya to change topics. Fast.

But Adrien spoke first. "No, no one yet." Chloé had asked him to the dance yesterday, and the day before yesterday, and last week, but he had already been preparing to ask Ladybug.

"Then..." Alya pushed Marinette until her friend stood right in front of Adrien. Marinette froze, ready to pass out from the euphoria of seeing her crush up close.

Marinette opened her mouth, but no sound came. She opened her mouth again, only to squeak, "Hi..."

Alya facepalmed. She asked Adrien, "Would you go to the dance with Marinette?"

"Um..." Adrien looked at Alya and then at Marinette, confused at why Marinette didn't ask him to the dance herself.

Marinette had a similar thought, and panicking again, she asked in a small voice, "Go to the dance with me?"

"Huh? Oh... Sure."

Marinette showed a stiff and toothy grin and then fell to the floor.

* * *

Adrien picked her up in a limo and they went to the party. Marinette was too nervous to hold much conversation, but Adrien didn't mind. He thought it was cute.

When they arrived at the dance, there was an akuma. Marinette suddenly had to use the restroom. Adrien suddenly needed a drink. Like always, Ladybug and Chat Noir arrived to fight the akuma, and they defeated it. The butterfly, now a pure, snowy white, flew away.

In the makeshift ballroom, Chat turned to Ladybug and asked, "My Lady, would you honor me with a dance?"

"But Chat, our transformations-" ... were about to expire.

Chat Noir bowed deeply, and when he straightened, he extended a hand to Ladybug. "Please?" he added. His tone was warm and soft.

Something was different about Chat tonight.

Marinette wondered if she would fall for Chat, who was so sincere. There had been no excessive flirtation today - just a few cat puns.

From the fringe of the crowd, a delighted "Yeek!" sounded. It was Alya, holding her trusted recording device, filming the whole thing.

Rejecting Chat a second time would hurt him. And he _had_ asked Ladybug to the dance before anyone else did.

Ladybug lifted her hand and grasped Chat's clawed gloves. She could never put Chat before Adrien, but today was special. She nodded, "Let's dance."

The music resumed. It was the chicken dance. _Whack!_ echoed through the room as the DJ was knocked down by none other than Alya. She set a slow song on play and hurried back to her spot near the heart of the crowd.

Chat committed to memory the entire dance with Ladybug, though it was very brief. He needn't have bothered, since people were recording the scene on their devices, but he wanted to _remember_ \- in case he never got this close to his Lady again.

Chat and Ladybug spun around and around, slowly. Close up, she realized how vivid his eyes were, how wide his shoulders were, and how warm his body was. He seemed to know how to dance well, and Ladybug was stuck between looking into his eyes and avoiding stepping on his feet.

When they stopped, Chat stood there for a second, holding her right hand in his left one. _Something..._ his movements, his posture... They were familiar and unlike his hunched battle stances. Ladybug felt a flicker of memory surface, then nothing.

The Miraculous jewelry counted down time. They had only seconds left. Ladybug needed to go _now_ before she transformed back into Marinette.

Chat squeezed her hand then reluctantly let go. There was something to be discovered here, but there was no time. They parted.

 **To Be Continued...**


End file.
